DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING ULTRASOUND IMAGES OF A VESSEL

• US 20100049034A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: MARTIN-LEUNG, Barbara, ECK, Kai, WEESE, Jürgen, BREDNO, Jörg
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for displaying a vessel (2) with the aid of intravascular ultrasound images (I). A sequence of intravascular ultrasound images (I(E,x)) is generated by means of a probe (5) and stored in a memory (10) in a manner indexed by the associated location (x) where they were generated and also the associated heartbeat phase (E) and/or breathing phase. During a subsequent medical intervention, those ultrasound images (I₁, I₂, I₃) which best correspond to the heartbeat phase of a current fluoroscopic image (A_t) or belong to the current stopping location of a catheter (13) can be selected from the memory (10) and displayed on a monitor (12).

Claims

1. A method for displaying a vessel in real time during a medical intervention in a patient, comprising the steps:

a) recording and storing in a physical memory in a run-up to a medical intervention a sequence of 300 to 900 intravascular ultrasound images of the vessel from an intravascular ultrasound pull back sequence;

b) recording and storing in the same physical memory angiograms of the vessel obtained from an x-ray device while injecting contrast agent;

c) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective locations of their recording in the vessel;

d) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective values of a cyclic heartbeat;

e) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective values of a cyclic breathing;

f) detecting a current location in the vessel of an object of interest in real time during a medical intervention using an x-ray or NMR device;

g) detecting a current value of the cyclic heartbeat using an eletrocardiogram;

h) detecting a current value of the cyclic breathing using a breathing sensor;

i) using selection criteria to select three or more ultrasound images from the sequence of stored ultrasound images, wherein the selection criteria correspond nearly to the current location and current values of the cyclic heartbeat and the cyclic breathing;

j) using weighted selection criteria so that the selected ultrasound images are a compromise between the current location, the current value of the cyclic heartbeat, and the current value of the cyclic breathing; and

k) displaying the selected ultrasound images concurrently with an x-ray image of the vessel, the display showing the geometric position of the ultrasound images with reference to the x-ray image by means of an arrow or cross, and connecting the ultrasound images in the display with connecting lines, wherein the display shows the vessel cross section at the location of the object of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object of interest is a catheter tip.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the object of interest is an anatomical vessel structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical intervention is a catheter examination of the heart.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vessel is a heart vessel.

6. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computer, the instructions operable to perform a method for displaying a vessel in real time during a medical intervention in a patient, the method comprising the steps:

a) recording and storing in physical memory in a run-up to a medical intervention a sequence of 300 to 900 intravascular ultrasound images of the vessel from an intravascular ultrasound pull back sequence;

b) recording and storing in the same physical memory angiograms of the vessel obtained from an x-ray device while injecting contrast agent;

c) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective locations of their recording in the vessel;

d) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective values of a cyclic heartbeat;

e) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective values of a cyclic breathing;

f) detecting a current location in the vessel of an object of interest in real time during a medical intervention using an x-ray or NMR device;

g) detecting a current value of the cyclic heartbeat using an eletrocardiogram;

h) detecting a current value of the cyclic breathing using a breathing sensor;

i) using selection criteria to select three or more ultrasound images from the sequence of stored ultrasound images, wherein the selection criteria correspond nearly to the current location and current values of the cyclic heartbeat and the cyclic breathing;

j) using weighted selection criteria so that the selected ultrasound images are a compromise between the current location, the current value of the cyclic heartbeat, and the current value of the cyclic breathing; and

k) displaying the selected ultrasound images concurrently with an x-ray image of the vessel, the display showing the geometric position of the ultrasound images with reference to the x-ray image by means of an arrow or cross, and connecting the ultrasound images in the display with connecting lines, wherein the display shows the vessel cross section at the location of the object of interest.

7. A computer programmed to perform a method for displaying a vessel in real time during a medical intervention in a patient, the method comprising the steps:

a) recording and storing in physical memory in a run-up to a medical intervention a sequence of 300 to 900 intravascular ultrasound images of the vessel from an intravascular ultrasound pull back sequence;

b) recording and storing in the same physical memory angiograms of the vessel obtained from an x-ray device while injecting contrast agent;

c) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective locations of their recording in the vessel;

d) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective values of a cyclic heartbeat;

e) indexing the ultrasound images and angiograms at the time of their recording by respective values of a cyclic breathing;

f) detecting a current location in the vessel of an object of interest in real time during a medical intervention using an x-ray or NMR device;

g) detecting a current value of the cyclic heartbeat using an eletrocardiogram;

h) detecting a current value of the cyclic breathing using a breathing sensor;

i) using selection criteria to select three or more ultrasound images from the sequence of stored ultrasound images, wherein the selection criteria correspond nearly to the current location and current values of the cyclic heartbeat and the cyclic breathing;

j) using weighted selection criteria so that the selected ultrasound images are a compromise between the current location, the current value of the cyclic heartbeat, and the current value of the cyclic breathing; and

k) displaying the selected ultrasound images concurrently with an x-ray image of the vessel, the display showing the geometric position of the ultrasound images with reference to the x-ray image by means of an arrow or cross, and connecting the ultrasound images in the display with connecting lines, wherein the display shows the vessel cross section at the location of the object of interest.